The vice president made a number of economic proposals, and also took aim at Donald Trump.

On Wednesday, Kamala Harris called on the federal government to provide incentives for domestic manufacturing in a variety of industries. She was stepping up her efforts to win back blue-collar Pennsylvania voters from Donald Trump.

The vice president made a pledge to invest in biomanufacturing and aerospace, as well as artificial intelligence. “So that the next generation breakthroughs – from advanced batteries, geothermal, to advanced nuclear – are not only invented, but also built in America by American workers.”

Harris’ speech was delivered as she sought to reduce Trump’s lead with voters in the US on economic issues, which are a major concern for all voters. The vice president portrayed herself as a “pragmatist,” adding definition to a platform Republicans have criticised as being thin. Harris pledged to abolish degree requirements for federal positions, double the number of union apprenticeships during her first term, and reform permits to speed up construction projects. However she did not provide any details on how she would implement these proposals.

In an implicit response to Republicans’ description of her as “Marxist,” Harris described herself as “strongly supportive of workers and labor unions” as well as “capitalist”, bridging the gap between her progressive record as California senator and her more pro-business presidential bid. She pledged to be “pragmatic” and “practical in my approach” in the economy in order to reassure voters who have expressed concern in public surveys about Harris being “too liberal”.

Harris stated, “I don’t believe that we should be restricted by ideologies, but instead seek practical solutions to our problems.” “Part of being a pragmatic is to take good ideas wherever they may come,” Harris said.

Harris also attacked Trump by saying that he was “only interested in improving life for himself and those like him, the wealthiest Americans.”

In their dueling speeches, Harris and Trump presented competing visions of their economic plans this week. They also discussed how to revitalize domestic manufacturing. In a speech he gave in Georgia, Trump pledged to further cut taxes and restrict trade in order to “take jobs from other countries” during his speech. He pledged to implement 100 percent tariffs for cars made in Mexico. This is part of his protectionist policies, which he has been promoting for almost a decade.

Harris’ economic agenda is less clear. Her remarks in Pittsburgh were an attempt to explain her plans to voters.

Mark Longabaugh is a Democratic strategist and former adviser to Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. He said that she was trying to set up a series of economic positions to let voters know what direction she wanted to take the country in. If you look at polling results, her main challenge is to fill in the blanks.

According to public opinion polls, there are signs that it is starting to work. Trump was often in double-digit lead over Joe Biden when it came to who voters preferred to manage the economy earlier this spring. In recent weeks, Harris has narrowed the gap to just 5 points in a Fox News survey and 6 points in a USA Today/Suffolk University survey.

Longabaugh stated that “the public has already made up its mind about Trump. To the extent that some people haven’t… the battleground [for Harris] is the economic front.”

Mike Mikus, an Pennsylvania-based Democratic Strategist, stated that despite the fact that “inflation has now dropped, people are still experiencing sticker shock at the supermarket.”

Mikus stated that the choice to give her speech in Western Pennsylvania, a region with many blue-collar employees who have left the Democratic Party made it “the ideal place to take on corporations.” “Donald Trump coopted that language even though his policies are the opposite. That’s why he is able to do so well in western Pennsylvania.”

Harris’ speech was a scathing attack on the “biggest companies” who continue to “make record profits, while wages haven’t kept pace.” She also returned repeatedly to themes of her own upbringing in the middle class and the stress of caring for an ailing mother. Her speech was anchored by elements from her own biography.

Harris’ aides admit that voters have yet to get to know Vice President Harris, who announced her candidacy for president in late July.

Harris has also attacked Trump’s economic policies. She reminded voters about one of President Trump’s main 2016 campaign promises – to prevent a Carrier factory in Indianapolis, Indiana from moving jobs to Mexico. Although some jobs were retained in Indiana, the company ultimately eliminated hundreds of positions and closed a second factory by 2020.

Harris stated that “under Trump’s leadership, manufacturing jobs in our country and economy have declined.” “Almost 200,000 manufacturing positions were lost in his first four years of presidency, even before the pandemic. This makes Trump the worst manufacturing loser ever.”

Democrats hope that Harris’ speech will resonate with voters in Pennsylvania, particularly some of her specific plans to strengthen unions. “Organized labor cares deeply for domestic manufacturing,” stated former Democratic Rep. Jason Altmire who represented central Pennsylvania.

Some Democrats in the Rustbelt expressed concern after the Teamsters refused to endorse Harris. They feared that Trump might have more support than expected among union members.

He said that “Made in America” resonates well in Pittsburgh, which is why the message was chosen by her.

Mikus stated that the message was not aimed at Pittsburgh, the center of Democratic support. Instead, it was directed towards the smaller towns in the surrounding counties where Democrats need to “hit a threshold” in order to “lose by less”. “That’s what Joe Biden did in 2020 when Hillary Clinton fell short in 2016,” Mikus explained.

Mikus said that in order for Harris to replicate Biden’s win in the state she needs to reach out to white women who do not have college degrees, and households with union members, two demographics in which she can still gain ground in these exurban areas.

Mikus stated that “from a message perspective, these voters are all about jobs.”

In her speech, Harris reaffirmed her support for a number of other economic initiatives, including a ban on corporate price gouging and expanding tax credits to new small businesses. She also pledged to build 3,000,000 new homes in order to combat the housing shortage.

She promised that she would “cut the costs of childcare and eldercare” as well as give “all workers access to paid leave”. However, the vice president did not specify how a future government might pay for the various proposals.

You can learn more about it here.